Gilgil

Our drive from Nakuru to Gilgil was short but eventful. We
encountered a herd of wild zebras grazing along the highway,
accompanied by a troop of baboons. Apparently this is an everyday
occurrence here, like seeing squished armadillo and deer back home.
To us it was pretty cool so we stopped like tourists and took
pictures. It got the Creechs excited about their and Seth's upcoming
safari.

Gilgil is not a town that anyone would call pretty. It reminded me of
a small west Texas town that everyone forgot about, except this one
was very inhabited. The drought is hitting this area very hard, and
that means that the orphanage workers have to ferry water from the
river in plastic containers to fill the tank. This orphanage, open
since September 2008 is in a town on a lot surrounded by neighbors, so
it has a totally different feel that the other ones.

One constant though is the kids. Here they were very happy to see us,
singing songs and dancing around like happy kids do. When I was here
in October, they were much more subdued having only been there a
month. The Creechs handed out their gifts and we met with the widows
and orphans. We toured their new construction project, a building to
house their clinic, sewing room, library and posho mill.

We left Gilgil behind for unfinished business in Nairobi. We had not
been able to exchange all the cash we wanted to so we headed back to
the Village Market and our friends at the (now open) Forex. Cash in
hand, the Creechs did a little shopping while I finished up my
business with Safaricom, getting the technology pieces in place for
Paul Talley's return to Kenya with a mission trip of 30 people in
July. Dinner at the Java house (man, I love that place), and the
long, hot, smelly drive through the lesser parts of Nairobi and home
(can you call it that?) to Kamulu.

Tomorrow, we split up as most of our party head off to the Little
Governor's camp at the Masi Mara game preserve for a real photographic
safari. I'll remain in Kamulu to meet with the WBS workers and
orphanage workers over the next two days. We'll reunite Saturday
evening for our last day in country before we depart Kenya on Sunday
evening.